Consulting services
Connected hardware,
from concept to production
I'm Timothy Adu, senior embedded lead & architect for startups and product teams building connected devices. I take on the firmware, hardware integration, and technical direction so you can ship a reliable product without hiring a full embedded team.
Where most connected hardware products get stuck
Building connected hardware means holding an enormous amount in your head at once: electronics, firmware, wireless protocols, mechanics, supply chain, testability, manufacturability, and production. All at the same time, all interdependent. For a small team or a hardware founder, that's not just technically hard. It's exhausting.
The challenge isn't understanding the domains. You already know the list; you think about all of it every day. The challenge is having the bandwidth and depth across all of them simultaneously, at a stage where a wrong call in any one of them can cost you months. Something always falls through the gap between domains, and that gap usually shows up at the worst possible moment: in a pilot, at a customer demo, or on a factory floor.
That's where senior embedded leadership pays for itself. Not in the straightforward parts, but at the intersections where things get complicated and expensive if you get them wrong. This is the problem I work on.
How I help
Three ways to engage
Technical Review & Audit
A focused engagement where I assess your current state — architecture, codebase, hardware-software integration, development process. You get a clear roadmap of the highest-risk gaps and what to do about them. Useful when you have a team in place but want a senior set of eyes before a big decision or milestone.
Embedded Project Lead
I take ownership of the embedded side of your project end-to-end — architecture, firmware, hardware integration, debugging, and production readiness, working alongside your hardware, product, and software teams. Useful when you don't have senior embedded in-house and don't want to hire it yet.
Fractional Embedded CTO / Ongoing Advisor
Part-time, retainer-style engagement where I'm the embedded technical lead across your roadmap: making the architecture calls, reviewing decisions, and keeping the technical direction coherent across multiple workstreams. Useful for teams that want continuity without full-time headcount.
Across all three, the work typically spans embedded software architecture, firmware development in C and C++, hardware-software bring-up, RTOS-based development, debugging legacy or unstable systems, refactoring, technical audits, and certification prep.
What you get
Outcomes you can expect
- Reduced technical risk through sound architecture and early identification of issues that turn into rework
- Faster development cycles because firmware, hardware, and integration decisions are made in one place instead of three
- More maintainable firmware that your team can actually own after I'm gone
- Greater confidence in production readiness — for manufacturing, certification, and ongoing field support
Recent work
Prototype to deployment in 16 weeks
The founder had a clear product vision but no senior embedded leadership. I took ownership end-to-end across electronics, firmware, data architecture, cloud integration, mechanical prototyping, assembly, and testing.
BLE connectivity & mobile app integration
A solo founder building a smart wearable with specialist consultants. I joined to own the BLE connectivity and mobile app integration, ensuring the firmware, device, and app agree at the seams. Ongoing engagement since April 2025.
How engagements work
From first call to shipped product
Initial Discovery
We begin with a conversation to understand your product, constraints, risks, and goals.
Technical Assessment
I review your current system, architecture, codebase, and development process as needed.
Clear Plan of Action
You receive practical recommendations and a proposed engagement structure aligned with your priorities.
Execution and Support
I work hands-on with your team or independently to deliver agreed outcomes.
Knowledge Transfer
Where appropriate, I ensure your team understands the decisions made and can maintain momentum after the engagement.
Is this right for you?
Who Helix Embedded consulting is for
- A hardware startup building a first or second-generation connected product
- A small or mid-sized company adding connected, smart, or wireless capabilities to a product line, lacking senior embedded leadership in-house
- A team facing persistent firmware instability, integration issues, or pilot delays on a connected device
- A founder or product owner who wants one experienced person owning the embedded side, rather than coordinating contractors who don't talk to each other
- An engineering team preparing a connected product for scale, certification, or manufacturing
If you need reliable embedded expertise without hiring a full-time senior engineer or CTO, this model provides flexibility without compromising quality.
The difference
Why Helix Embedded
I work end-to-end
I don't just write firmware and hand it off. I make the architecture decisions, integrate with the hardware, debug the field issues, and stay involved through production. The same person who chose the approach is the one who owns the consequences of it.
I work with your team, not around it
If you have a junior or mid-level engineer doing good work, I make them better — I don't displace them. The most useful engagements are often the ones where there's an existing team that just needs senior decision-making support.
I focus on connected hardware specifically
The patterns I see most often — connectivity recovery, power-state behavior, OTA architecture, hardware-software integration on connected devices — are the patterns I work on every day.
No frameworks, no generic packages
I work directly with clients to solve real embedded software problems and help products move forward with confidence. Selected project examples are available upon request or during an introductory call.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How long is a typical engagement?
Anywhere from a few weeks for a focused technical review, up to 12+ months for a full concept-to-production build. Most ongoing engagements run 3–6 months.
Do you work fixed-fee or hourly?
Both, depending on the engagement. Fixed-fee for well-scoped reviews and projects; hourly or retainer for ongoing technical advisory work. Pricing is discussed during the discovery call once we understand the scope.
Do you work remotely?
Yes, almost always. I'm based in Denmark and work with teams across North America and Europe. For the right project I'll travel for key milestones: kickoff, pilot, production transition.
What about IP and confidentiality?
NDAs in place at the start of any conversation that needs them. All work product belongs to you — I don't retain rights to anything I write for a client.
We have a small embedded team already. Can you still help?
Often yes. The most useful engagements are sometimes the ones where you have a junior or mid-level engineer doing good work, but no one senior to make the harder architecture and integration calls. I can fill that gap without displacing your existing team.
What's the first step?
A free 30-minute discovery call. We'll talk through what you're building, where you are, and whether I'm the right fit. No pressure either way.
Looking for hands-on mentoring instead?
The project coaching programme is built for embedded engineers who want to level up with real projects and direct feedback.
Free discovery call
Let's talk about your connected product
The first conversation is a free 30-minute discovery call. We'll discuss what you're building, where you are, and whether I'm the right fit. No pressure either way.